


The Obstacles That Brings Us Closer

by Emilie_L_C



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Angst, Athelstan (Vikings) Lives, Athelstan is a great babysitter, Bathing/Washing, Blood, Bonding, Children, Comfort, Coming of Age, Cramps, Cute, England (Country), Everyone Is Alive, Family, Friendship, Growing Up, Kattegat (Vikings), Love/Hate, Menstruation, Nudity, Other, Priest, Puberty, Siblings, The Talk, Vikings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23205961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilie_L_C/pseuds/Emilie_L_C
Summary: Ragnar and Lagertha has left Athelstan in charge of Gyda, Björn and the farm. However, some things end up making it rather difficult for Athelstan to contain his inner peace. Things, he never thought he would have to experience.
Relationships: Athelstan & Gyda (Vikings)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place right after Ragnar and Lagertha has left for the other raid in England. 
> 
> Warnings: Descriptions of nudity and periods.

The sun was shining outside. Everything was rather quiet at the small farm. The Scandinavian landscape was so beautiful, especially when the sun was shining, throwing its divine light down on the whole landscape. The lush forests, the big rock-formations, the cliffs, the green plants, the flowers and the stunning lakes flowing through the landscape, were all parts of the landscape, which Gyda and Björn got to see every single day. It was that kind of landscape, where the two children had been born and raised. Athelstan, the Lothbrok family's new slave, had so many new things to learn.

Athelstan had to take care of Gyda, Björn and the entire farm. It was pretty overwhelming, all of it, but Athelstan did not say anything. Just a few weeks ago, he was just a simple monk living in the monastery at Lindesfarne. Now he was here, in a place he knew nothing about. Athelstan knew he could do nothing but just accept his fate, trying to make the best out of this whole situation. After all, Athelstan was so grateful for even still being alive.

Gyda, Ragnar Lothbrok's daughter was actually a very quiet and sweet girl. She looked alot like her mother, Lagertha, and she wanted to become a shield-maiden just like her mother. A little while after Athelstan's arrival to the small farm, she had started accepted the new "member" of the family. At first, Athelstan thought Gyda did not want to talk with him or anything. Then, after some time, she began to ask small, careful questions about his religion and the book he had brought back from Lindesfrane with him. She was actually just curious about the new _slave_ that her father had brought back home with him.

Björn, however, had not accepted Athelstan at all. In fact, it felt as if he despised Athelstan, and that he did not really want anything to do with him. He was not really curious about the new slave either, he just didn't anything to do with him. Björn ignored him most of the time, and it honestly made Athelstan get a bit impatient with him. Every single time Athelstan said something, he could hear Björn sigh at him. Sometimes, Athelstan would even see him rolling his eyes at him. No matter what the young priest said, he knew it would not recieve any positive reactions. Atleast not from Björn, anyway.

Even though Athelstan knew Björn did not want to spend any time with him, Athelstan still insisted on helping Björn and Gyda out on the farm. Earlier that day, Athelstan was together with Gyda, looking after the goats. "Do you have any family, priest?" Gyda had suddenly asked him. Her question took him by surprise. It had been a very long time since anyone had asked him about his family. Or even just asked him about anything about himself at all.

The priest had smiled gently at Gyda, "I had four brothers and a sister. They all died of a fever, like my mother and father." He told her, sitting beside one of the goats. "I was only saved because they had me placed in a monastery, when I was just a child. They had too many mouths to feed." Athelstan gave Gyda a sad smile, looking up at her. Gyda turned around and looked down at him, "So you are alone?" She asked, her voice was low and soft. Athelstan smiled and shook his head, "No. God is my father, so I am never alone." He smiled at her. His reply seemed to make her feel a tiny bit better about his family. Or lack thereof.

"What does your God look like?" The small girl asked him curiously, smiling a bit at him. Athelstan shrugged, "No one can know what God looks like. It would be like looking into the sun. It cannot be done." The priest told her softly. For the first time in years, someone actually cared about his well-being. It was something he could definietly get used to.

Athelstan helped them feeding all of the animals, chopping wood and he was also the one who cooked all of the meals. Gyda insisted on helping him out with supper sometimes, though, which Athelstan gladly accepted. Cooking with Gyda was actually kind of nice, since her and Athelstan had some interesting talks together. He would rather talk to Gyda all day than talk to Björn for five minutes.

Gyda, Björn and Athelstan were all sitting by the table, eating. Suddenly, Björn spoke up, "I want to go to Kattegat. I want to see my father return soon." Athelstan looked at both of the children, giving them both a frown, "I gave your father my word that I would look after you both, here." Athelstan told them, quietly. Björn had an angry look on his face, "You are not looking after us. We look after ourselves!" Björn protested, his eyes darting between his younger sister and the priest. "I cannot allow you to go on your own to Kattegat. Your father would never tolerate such a thing." Athelstan told them both, in a more firm voice now. Björn glared up at the priest again, "Then we should go together. The three of us." He said, in an insisting voice. Athelstan sighed, "And who will look after the farm?" Athelstan asked Björn. The young boy could not answer that question, he just looked at Athelstan sitting infront of him.

"For what we are about to recieve, may the Lord make us truly grateful. Amen." Athelstan spoke out loud, before pouring Björn and himself some ale. Gyda glanced at Athelstan's cup, "Can I have some ale?" She asked him, innocently. Athelstan glanced at Gyda, then down at his freshly poured cup of ale, "You are too young, Gyda, to drink ale."

After the pretty intense atmosphere at supper, Athelstan walked inside of his small, dark and cramped chamber. Finally, everything was quiet inside of the small farm house. He smiled as he pulled out the Bible. The one thing he had taken with him. His fingers traced the brown cover of the book. He sat down on his narrow bed. Athelstan opened the book, and began to read some pages. Slowly, he began to find some peace within himself once again. After awhile, there was a knock on his door. Athelstan looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow, staring in the direction of the door. He knew he had tucked in Björn earlier, so it could not be him. Unless he had jumped out of bed in protest, which would not surprise Athelstan. "Come in." The young priest spoke, hearing the door slowly creak open. Gyda appeared in the doorframe. She looked at Athelstan, her eyes looked kind of concerned.

Athelstan got up from his bed, and put the Bible on his bed. "Gyda, is everything alright?" He asked her, softly. The small girl glanced at Athelstan and let out a small sigh. She wore her white nightgown, "I do not know. My stomach hurts so much." She complained, holding around her lower stomach. Athelstan had sympathy in his eyes as he approached her, "Gyda, come here, you need to sit down." Athelstan gently lead her over to his bed, and they both sat down. "Did you eat something bad?" Athelstan put a hand around her shoulders, trying his best to comfort her. Athelstan's chamber was rather dark, and only the light of one single candle lit up the chamber, with a very faint light.

Gyda sighed and shook her head, "I don't think so. It just hurts very badly." She clutched her stomach, her long hair covered her entire face, as she leaned forward, taking a deep breath. Then, her gaze caught Athelstan's Bible. "Can you please read some to me?" Gyda asked in a low voice, nodding her head towards the Bible on the bed. Athelstan looked down at his book, then he looked up at Gyda, "I am not su-" Gyda cut off Athelstan, her eyes were pleading, "Please, priest! Read to me. I want to hear something from yout religious book." She insisted, hoping he would do it. Athelstan sighed, before giving Gyda a small smile, "I suppose I can read some to you." The priest told her, opening the book. Athelstan was not quite sure what exactly he should read to Gyda, but he wanted to make her think about something else than her stomach ache, so he just found a page he wanted to read to her.

Athelstan cleared his throat, "There is actually a verse here about pain. I suppose it makes sense to read that one out loud." Gyda nodded her head, feeling the awful pain in her lower stomach instensify slightly. Yet, she tried to shrug it off. Athelstan found the verse, and tried to focus his gaze on the words, even though there were very limited light available. " _Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people_ _brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Matthew 4:23-25._ " The young priest read out loud, looking down at Gyda. She looked confused, yet she still seemed to be very interested in his book. If Ragnar had seen him reading this out loud to his daughter, Athelstan was not certain, about how he would react. They had their own Gods and beliefs, afterall.

"All of this means that Jesus will always heal the sick people." Athelstan explained, stroking Gyda's hair gently. Gyda smiled up at him, "Will he heal me, too?" She asked him, her eyes slightly watery from the pain. Athelstan could not help but smile at her question, "You have your own Gods, Gyda. They will heal you, I promise that." He reassured her, exhaling slowly and deeply. Gyda nodded her head slowly and looked down at her lap. "That is true." She mumbled, sighing a bit. Athelstan put down the book and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I think you should get some rest now, Gyda. I hope the pain will be over soon. Shall i tuck you in?" He asked her, which caused Gyda to nod her head eagerly, "Yes, please. That would be lovely." She said, smiling from ear to ear. Athelstan hoped Gyda would be able to sleep through the pain, and he hoped the pain would be gone in the morrow.

Athelstan and Gyda both got up from the bed and they began to walk towards Gyda's chamber. The rest of the house was very dark aswell, just like Athelstan's chamber had been. Gyda found it to be very eerie and creepy. She could only begin to imagine all of the uncomfortable things lurking at her in the dark. Finally, they made it to Gyda's chamber, even though it was very difficult to navigate in complete darkness. Gyda climbed inside of the bed and crawled under the heavy blanket.

Athelstan's hands pulled the blanket up to her chin, a small grin spread across Gyda's face. Athelstan smiled down at the little girl, who suddenly looked very fragile and small. He could just barely see her small frame in the darkness. "Goodnight, Gyda. Feel better soon and sleep well." He whispered to her. "Goodnight, Athelstan. See you in the morrow. Thank you." The priest tip-toed out of the chamber and closed the heavy door behind him. The young man could feel the tiredness and fatigue take over his body, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to lie down on his bed and go to sleep.

As Athelstan walked back to his chamber, he started getting chills all over his body. He rubbed his arms, trying to get some warmth to flow through them. The whole house was freezing cold. That was when he realized that the fire inside of the fireplace had burned out a long time ago. Athelstan's simple monk-gown did nothing to keep him warm, so he shivered slightly as he walked back inside of his chamber and crawled under the blanket. Athelstan said a little prayer before closing his eyes, hugging the Bible.

The intense pain in Gyda's lower stomach had intensified throughout the evening, and now it was in the middle of the night. Gyda could not sleep anymore. She had slept a few hours, since the pain in her stomach could not be ignored any longer. The small girl opened her eyes, staring into the darkness surrounding her. Everything was so quiet, and dark. Suddenly, Gyda got the urge to pee very badly. Deciding with herself that she could not hold it in for the rest of the night, she decided to go outside quickly. Even though she was scared of the dark, Gyda forced herself out of bed and tried her best to navigate in the darkness. Finally, she had found the doorknob. Gyda opened her door, a creaking sound disturbed her ears as she did so.

Quietly, Gyda tip-toed over to the frontdoor, careful not to wake anyone up. She then slowly opened the door and ran outside. The freezing wind hit her bare legs, and it felt like a thousand knives stabbing both of her legs at the same time. It felt like the freezing cold air was piercing through her delicate, soft skin. Outside of the small farm, everything was even darker. Only the faint light coming from the moon, lit things up a tiny bit. However, Gyda had a hard time seeing anything at all, despite the moon's light shining down at her.

Gyda ran closer to the lake, careful not to fall in. The girl pulled down her small clothes and lifted up her nightgown. She squatted down and began to pee, feeling the horrible stomach ache intensify again. She did her business as fast as possible, since the awfully cold air was hurting her skin, almost tearing it apart. As Gyda was about to get up, she noticed something. It was like the moon's light was even brighter now and she could see everything better now.

When she looked down at the ground she was squatting above, she could see something dripping down on the ground. The liquid, which was dripping, was red. Terrified, Gyda touched the red substance, which had already created a puddle on the ground. When she looked at her fingers again, she knew exactly what it was: blood. Fright and panic washed over her, like a great, big wave. Gyda touched between her legs, and the same red substance coated her fingers. She looked down at her white small clothes. They had a massive blood stain on them. So did her nightgown.

Gyda's eyes widened, as she pulled up her small clothes, pulled down her nightgown and ran back inside of the quiet house. Panicked, she ran inside of Athelstan's chamber, not even bothering to knock on the door first. When she entered his chamber, she heard him groan a bit, before turning his head towards the door. Gyda began to cry, she did not want to die. Not now. "Gyda?" Athelstan could hear her small sniffles, as he got out of his bed. He still wore his monk-gown, as usual. Gyda looked down at the floor, even though she could not see anyhing.

Athelstan put a hand on her shoulder, "Gyda... What is the matter? Did you have a bad dream?" He asked her, his voice was soft and friendly. Gyda shook her head, and Athelstan could feel how cold she was. Even though it was dark, Athelstan could still see how pale and sweaty Gyda's face was. "Then, what is it?" He tried, rubbing her shoulders. "I-i am dying..." She could hardly form the words in her mouth, without breaking down into cries. Athelstan immediatly grew concerned, "What? What happened? Gyda, what is happening?!" He began to ask her so many questions, and Gyda had no answers to them. She merely shook her head, "I don't know! I am bleeding! I did not cut myself, I do not know where it is coming from!" She cried, desperation taking over her body.

Athelstan lit the candle, and held it infront of him. " _Bleeding. What does she mean by that?_ " Athelstan thought to himself. He looked down and saw a few drops of red liquid drip down on the floor. Just where Gyda was standing. Athelstan saw the bloodstain on her nightgown. Then, all of a sudden, it clicked in his mind. The lower stomach ache and now the bleeding.

Growing up in a monastery, Athelstan got some basic knowledge about this, but he never thought he would need that kind of knowledge. He was a monk afterall. He had also read about a woman’s moonblood in the Bible. However, he did not view Gyda as being impure now that she had started her first moonblood. Not at all. In fact, Athelstan had always wondered, why the Bibel would even label someone as “impure”. The thought about Gyda starting her moonblood had not even crossed his mind once. He just thought she was getting ill. Now that he thought about it, he actually felt kind of foolish for not thinking more thoroughly about the symptoms she had described to him.

"Gyda, shhh, you are not dying, my dear. You are no longer a child, Gyda, you just became a young woman!" He exclaimed, still not quite sure what he should do. How ironic, hours earlier, he had to her that she was too young to drink ale. Gyda glanced up at him, her cheeks stained with tears, "What do you mean?" She asked, sniffling. Athelstan sighed softly, "You just started your first moonblood. It is completely natural. Come with me, I will help you." Gyda followed Athelstan outside of the house, "We must get you cleaned up. I will wash your bloodstained clothes while you clean off in the lake. Just take off your soiled clothes and give it to me.” It was in the middle of the night, it was dark, it was freezing cold but she had to get cleaned up. Athelstan could see a thin trail of blood running down her legs, too.

Gyda hestitated for a few moments, feeling incredibly voulnerable all of a sudden. Then, she stripped off her nightgown and gave it to Athelstan. She slid down her bloodsoaked small clothes and blushed as she gave it to Athelstan. Gyda knew Athelstan had now seen her completely naked, and that made everything feel even more embarrassing. Although, she was happy he actually wanted to help her.

As she was standing there, by the lake, she could feel the awfully cold wind attack her from all sides now. She was completely naked, nothing could protect her against the cold now. "There is nothing to he embarrassed about. I will clean this for you." The young man smiled at her, showing real sympathy. He did his best not to look at her bare body, so he just focused on her clothes instead. It would not be proper of him to look at her. She was a woman now and he was a monk.

Gyda smiled slightly at him, before walking into the icy lake. Shivering all over her body, Gyda threw herself into the water, cleaning herself as best as she could manage. The freezing cold water submerged her already sore body, and for a moment, everything felt so surreal. Gyda stood up in the water, and looked up at the sky: it was a clear, and starry night. There were stars everywhere and the moon's light shone down on her, making her wet hair look like gold. As she stood there, she could see a few droplets of blood mixing with the water. The cold water was not helping her abdomen feel better at all, but for a moment, she felt so amazingly clean. She could hardly see where she was walking in the lake, and the fact that she could not feel her legs anymore. However, those things did not make it feel less amazing.

Athelstan pulled up his gown slightly, hoping he would not make it wet. He crouched down and began to scrub Gyda's small clothes and nightgown. His hands were already stiff, and as he kept on scrubbing, he could see some blood flowing in the water. As Athelstan was cleaning Gyda's clothes, he could see her standing up in the lake. God, she was actually so beautiful. Athelstan forced himself to look away from her, and he concentrated about getting her small clothes and nightgown clean. He grabbed a rock and began to scrub harder, until all of the blood was gone.

Gyda began to clean herself off even more, before walking towards Athelstan. The sound of water crashing against Gyda’s legs as she walked, was the only sound present. It was so quiet. He gave her a smile as she walked out of the water, “How are you feeling now, Gyda?” He asked her, frowning a bit. He could only imagine how uncomfortable this must be for her.

Gyda covered herself as best as she could. That was when she realized that all of her clothes were wet and cold. Athelstan noticed her discomfort, “Let us go inside, dear Gyda. We will talk inside. I will start the fire in the fireplace, while you get dressed. I think it would be a good idea to find a cloth or something to put in your small clothes, though.”


	2. Chapter Two

Athelstan and Gyda began to walk back to the house, navigating through the darkness of the cold night. The moon had now gone behind the huge, old trees surrounding them, so there was no longer any light available. The trees were towering over Gyda and Athelstan, and it made them feel so small. Especially Gyda. The young girl had never really cared for those trees, they were too big and terrifying for her liking.

Gyda was completely naked, and after Athelstan had washed her nightgown and small clothes in the lake, she had nothing to wear. Not right now, atleast. The young priest had picked up her wet clothes, insisting on carrying it inside of the house for her. Of course, Gyda had not protested against his generous offer and she had gladly accepted it.

The young girl could feel the freezing cold wind hitting her bare body, as she walked towards the house. The wet and cold grass underneath her bare feet made her shiver, a certain cold feeling spread through her entire body. Gyda could feel her lower stomach hurting, very badly, again. Her body shivered and she stopped walking, holding around her stomach. For a moment or two, it sure felt as if she was not able to walk anymore.

Athelstan noticed her sudden discomfort, and slowed down his pace. The young man walked over to the naked girl, trying not to focus on her bare skin. Instead, he crouched down to her level, and looked her in her eyes, "Gyda, sweet child, what is the matter?" His voice was soft and soothing as he gently stroke Gyda's wet hair. The girl looked into his eyes, terror had already taken up residence inside of them. Gyda let out a shaky breath, "I do not know what is happening to me, Athelstan. Am I dying? Everything hurts so badly!" She cried out loud, clutching her stomach. Athelstan let out a small sigh, his eyes full of sympathy as he put a hand on her bare and cold shoulder. Of course the girl was scared out of her mind. Athelstan did not blame her at all. In fact, he would have found it to be very weird if she did not react, when she saw blood coming out of her.

"You are not dying, I promise. How about we continue our talk inside of the house, once you have gotten dressed again?" He suggested kindly, starting to feel very cold himself. Gyda wiped her tears away with her bare arm, "Alright." She sniffled, trying to walk again, this time faster. Gyda could feel the blood dripping down on the ground as she walked. The bleeding had stopped for a few moments after she had gotten out of the lake. However, it seemed like the bleeding had started again, and it seemed to be a very heavy bleeding. Athelstan glanced over at her, concerned. "Gyda, can you walk?" He asked her softly, almost in some kind of whisper. Gyda hestitated for a moment, then she nodded her head slowly. "I will try." She replied, feeling another painful sensation hit her lower region.

Even though there was no light, Athelstan turned around to look at Gyda as they walked. He was incredibly concerned about her. He had never had to deal with anything like this before, and he just wanted her to feel better soon. Gyda was, without a doubt, in a lot of pain. Her wet, cold hair clung to her upper body, just barely covering her developing breasts. Athelstan could see the crimson liquid making its way down the young girl's leg, creating a stain on her porcelain skin. He frowned at the sight, the girl must be so confused and terrified. Even though Athelstan was no expert about a woman's moon's blood, he would indeed still try to help out Gyda.

Finally, they reached the house and Gyda hurried inside. "Call for me, if you need any help." Athelstan told her as he closed the door behind them. The girl merely gave him a small smile before hurrying inside of her small chamber. She did not want to bleed on the floor. The house was so cold and dark, it gave the young girl an eerie feeling. She hoped she would not wake up Björn. Once Gyda was inside of her chamber, she let out a deep sigh and looked down at herself. What was she supposed to do? The priest had told her to find some kind of cloth, and put it in her small clothes. Where was she supposed to find that? How big should it be? How should she put it on?

Gyda felt the confusion take over her body, and she could not find any cloth, no matter how hard she tried to look. After she had been looking for a long time, Gyda finally managed to find a small cloth. She pulled out a clean nightgown and a clean pair of small clothes. She looked at the cloth, then down at her small clothes. The young girl had no idea how to place the cloth. The feeling of frustration began to rise inside of her body, and the feeling of defeat, too. She simply placed the cloth in the middle of her small clothes, hoping it would stay put. She put on her small clothes and then her nightgown. The cloth felt weird and bulky against her crotch, and it was a very uncomfortable feeling. It felt weird whenever she tried to walk. Walking was hard, especially because of her stomach ache.

Athelstan had hung up Gyda's wet clothes infront of the fireplace, hoping it would dry faster once he had lit the fire. Sighing, Athelstan lit the fire inside of the fireplace, and a warm feeling hit his cheeks as he sat down infront of it. Suddenly, he could hear small footsteps coming from behind him. The priest turned around and saw Gyda standing in the doorway, looking very scared. Athelstan got up from the floor, and walked over to her, "How are you feeling, Gyda?" He offered her a small smile. Gyda let out a pained sigh, "I feel so confused and weird." She admitted, feeling incredibly awful.

Athelstan nodded his head, "I understand, dear Gyda. Come here, sit down with me." He sat down infront of the fireplace and so did Gyda. The rest of the house was incredibly dark and cold, but right there, they could see and feel the light and the warmth from the fire burning infront of them. "I feel so disgusting for some reason." Gyda broke the silence and looked up at Athelstan. The young man shook his head, "You are not disgusting, Gyda. In the Bible, however, it says that a woman, who is having her moonblood, is impure. I have never understood why the Bible said that. I never believed that myself. I do not view you as being impure or disgusting, not at all. The bleeding you are experiencing is very natural and normal." He told her, looking into the flames. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gyda nodding her head slowly.

"Why am I bleeding?" Gyda asked him, her cheeks still stained with old trails of dried tears. The young man jerked his head towards her, and gave her a small smile. The light from the fire lit up Gyda's face and the priest could see how frightened she was. "It means you are ready to carry a child inside of your womb now, Gyda. It means you are becoming a young and fertile woman." The monk let out a small sigh. He had never had to explain this to anyone before, and he did not want to accidentally give Gyda any false information.

Gyda furrowed her eyes in pure confusion, "What does _fertile_ mean?" She questioned out loud, her lips curling into a slight frown. The priest was not prepared for this kind of talk, not at all. He had to talk to her about this anyway, though. The poor girl was scared out of her mind, and a priest was supposed to be kind and help the weak. What kind of priest would he be, if he did not help Gyda at all? Atleast she did not ask how children were made. "Being fertile means that you are now able to grow a child inside of your body." He told her, feeling his cheeks getting warm all of a sudden. His monk-gown suddenly felt way too warm for his liking.

Gyda crossed her arms over her chest, "But I do not want a child right now! I am too young!" She protested, small tears rolled down her cheeks again as she looked at Athelstan. Athelstan moved closer to her, "You do not have to have children now, Gyda. It just means you can have children now." He tried his best to explain this rather difficult topic to her, hoping Gyda would eventually calm down a bit. "Oh..." was all the young girl said, shyly, before fixing her gaze on the fire burning before her eyes. Athelstan looked at Gyda, "Does your stomach hurt, Gyda?" The priest sounded concerned for her well-being and that actually soothed Gyda quite a bit. In that moment, she was glad that had not been home alone with Björn, when she started bleeding. He would not have known what to do, and he would probably freak out, too. Gyda was so grateful for Athelstan.

“It still hurts very much. It is like in the lower part of my lower stomach." Gyda mumbled, clutching her stomach. Athelstan nodded, "That is because of the bleeding. The bleeding and the pain will happen every moon. It will last a few days. You will have to use the cloths to keep the blood away from your clothes. Did you find a cloth you could use?" He asked her. Gyda's cheeks reddened, "I did. Thank you, Athelstan." The monk just gave her a small smile. When he was at the monastery, they always read the Bible, trying to find all of the answers to the difficult questions of life. However, Athelstan read more books than the Bible. At night, he would often sneak inside of the small library, reading some of the books in there.

There were all kinds of books, and from those books, he got all of the knowledge about the world and the human body that he needed. He had to be careful not to get caught in the act, though. Father Cuthbert did not want any of the monks to read any other books than the Bible. He would sometimes say, that any book apart from the Bible, would be filled to the brim with false informations about everything. Yet, Athelstan had always found it interesting to learn and study new things, so he broke Father Cuthbert's rules. He never got caught, though.

"If you need anything, just tell me, please." He told her, giving her hand a tiny squeeze. Gyda smiled at him, "I will. Thank you again, Athelstan." Athelstan could not believe that Björn was still asleep, despite him and Gyda talking loudly right outside of his chamber. Athelstan had no idea how long they had been sitting on the floor by the fireplace, talking. Dawn had yet to come, so it was probably still somewhere in the middle of the night. Athelstan frowned at Gyda, as she bent over, holding around her stomach. "Perhaps you should get some rest now, dear Gyda." The priest suggested, hating seeing her in agony. Gyda nodded her head, "I think so." As Athelstan looked down, he could see some blood leaking theough the front of her nightgown. The sight almost shocked him. Especially the amount of blood.

"Gyda? Are you bleeding very heavily?" Athelstan asked her suddenly. Gyda looked down at herself in confusion, and saw how much her cloth had leaked. Embarrassed, she covered the front of her dress. She had just put on the cloth, how could it already be so soaked in blood? "I just put it in my small clothes! How can it already leak like that?" She growled to herself, feeling the humiliation wash over her. Athelstan looked at her, "It seems like you are bleeding quite heavily. Perhaps I should give you some healing herbs. Just so that it will slow down the bleeding a bit." He offered, smiling at her. Athelstan knew how to make some healing medicine, too. One of the many things he studied in all secret.

"Just go to bed, Gyda. I will make the medicine for you while you sleep. You need to rest, you look very pale." He told her, giving her a small, gentle kiss on her sweaty forehead. Gyda nodded her head and got up, "Thank you, Athelstan. Goodnight and thank you for everything." She whispered, walking away from the light and into the darkness of the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! <3


	3. Chapter Three

Athelstan began to walk outside of the house. The young priest tried to remember the types of healing herbs that he should use, in order to make the medication for Gyda. He had read about it so many times, and ironically enough, he could not recall any of the ingredients at all right now. The one time he actually needed to know it. Until now, Athelstan's knowledge of healing herbs and medicine had been useless. Until last night, Athelstan's knowledge had yet to come in handy. He had never thought it would, though. Until last night, plants had just been one of the things that Athelstan had enjoyed to study from all of those forbidden books in the library at the monastery. Now, he actually had to use the knowledge he had and the plants could actually make Gyda feel better. 

Sighing, Athelstan could feel the cold wind hit his body, as he walked towards the forest. Athelstan needed to get the medicine before Gyda woke up, so he had to do this as quickly as possible. Since Athelstan had been sitting inside of the house, right by the lit fireplace, the contrast between the warm and the cold was significant. Athelstan could indeed feel it, and the cold wind went right through his body. Shivering, Athelstan hugged his own body as he walked, hoping he would be able to keep warm that way. He could try to, atleast. Everything was still pitch black outside, and the young priest could not even see where he placed his feet. He could hear the sound of the snow making a cracking noise, as he walked on it. The frost was everywhere, and the young priest was about to slip and fall multiple times, as he walked with no light to guide him. The moon and the stars had been covered up by a few dark clouds, which meant absolutely no light got through to Athelstan. It was just dark. Darker than before. 

Even though Athelstan had promised Gyda to create the medicine for her, Athelstan was not even sure if the herbs he would need, were even growing in the wild Scandinavian nature. He frowned to himself, " _Why does it have to be so hard? God, please help me._ " Athelstan said, looking up at the eerie, black sky. Lately, Athelstan had felt abandoned by his God. God did not seem to offer him assistance, help or even any faith anymore. The young priest could not even feel God's love or warmth any longer. 

Navigating through the darkness was hard, but knowing that Gyda was in agony right now, trying to sleep, was even harder for him to think about. Athelstan wanted nothing more than to help the poor girl as best as he could manage. Athelstan racked his brain, trying his hardest to remember the ingredients that he needed. Even though Athelstan had no torch or candle with him, he still tried to look down at the ground, hoping to see some familar plants. There was nothing. Athelstan kept walking around. He did not even know where he was. He did not know if he was deep inside of the forest or still by the house. 

The sound of the huge, ancient trees swaying in the wind above him, made him feel slightly uneasy and an eerie feeling spread through his body. The young man crouched down and ran his hand over the grass, feeling like a blind man trying to search for his food. He tried to search for plants, desperately. Athelstan knew that what he was doing was probably useless, but he tried to do it anyway. Perhaps God would show him some mercy this night, and help him finding some healing herbs. Sadly, it seemed like God had neglected his prayers, again.

Athelstan began to shiver even more now, and his monk-gown did nothing to keep him warm. Only now he began to realize just how thin the fabric of his gown actually was. He had never noticed that before, not even in the monastery. Athelstan could not help but smile at his own arrogance and stupidity. Whenever he was about to go to sleep at the monastery, he would mentally complain about the corridors and beds being incredibly cold. He had always thought that the monastery was freezing cold at night. Compared to how cold the forest felt now, the monastery had actually been quite warm. There was nothing to shield Athelstan from the cold here. At the monastery, he was atleast able to lie down on a bed, with a blanket covering his entire body. " _Perspective, perspective."_ Athelstan thought to himself, winching at the many memories coming back to him.

There was no way he could find anything here, not when it was so dark. He would have to keep looking in the morrow, at the break of dawn. Athelstan removed his hand from the grass, the feeling of wetness still clung to his hands, making them slightly clammy and cold. Feeling very defeated, Athelstan began to make his way back to the house, trying to remember which direction he should walk in order to make it back. Athelstan had to find another way, to lessen Gyda's pain. Ale. That was his last option. No matter how much he despised the idea of giving the young girl ale, it would atleast be better than having her being in constant agony.

Athelstan could hear thin twigs breaking underneath his feet, as he walked. Cringing slightly at the cold wind hitting him in the face, Athelstan began to speed up his pace. It felt like his legs were consumed by the darkness, as he started running. If Athelstan looked down, he could not see his legs at all. The air was biting his cheeks as he ran, but he did not care about it. An owl hooted in the distance. The sound resounded throughout the forest, causing Athelstan's heartbeat to beat slightly faster. After having recovered after the small shock, he just kept on running, hoping he would not slip and fall down on the cold ground. 

Finally, he reached the house. Athelstan leaned against the wall of the house, trying to figure out where the door was located. Of course, he did know where it was located, but when it was so dark around him, it was hard for him to find it. When he finally found the door, he opened it, cringing at the loud creaking sound. He prayed to God that he did not wake up Björn or Gyda. After closing the door quietly behind him, he could feel the warmth from the lit fireplace hit him in his face, like a lovely, warm breeze. The fire inside of the fireplace lit up the livingroom quite well, so Athelstan could actually see what he was doing now. Athelstan smiled to himself and tip-toed over to the cabinet, which was located inside of the tiny kitchen.

Not every part of the house was lit up, though. The kitchen was completely dark, just like outside of the house. Only the livingroom was lit up, since the fire in the fireplace was still burning. Athelstan opened the cabinet, and grabbed the bottle filled with ale. He looked at the bottle in his hand, and sighed. Was he really going to give this to Gyda? The ale would probably help her relax her muscles a bit, and perhaps it would numb the pain for a while. Sighing, Athelstan walked towards Gyda's chamber, expecting Gyda to still be awake.

When Athelstan slowly opened the door to her chamber, and peeked inside. Her chamber was incredibly dark, and Athelstan could not even see Gyda. However, when he heard her small snores, a small smiled spread across his face. He decided not to wake her up. He would wait until she woke up, and then he would give her the ale first thing in the morning. Athelstan closed her door, careful not to wake her up. The young priest decided to wait outside of her chamber. He wanted to give Gyda the ale before Björn woke up. Athelstan knew that Björn would ask alot of questions, if he saw Athelstan suddenly starting to give Gyda ale, when he had just told her no, when she had asked for some last night. Athelstan was tired and he did not want to argue with Björn today. Athelstan was pretty sure that Gyda did not want Björn to ask her questions, about how she was feeling. Gyda was in alot of pain, she was bleeding and she was still rather confused about why she was bleeding, so she had no energy to answer any curious questions from her brother today. 

Athelstan paced the narrow hallway. He had no idea how long he had been doing it, but it felt like he couldn't stop pacing. Was he nervous? If so, why was he nervous all of a sudden? The young priest could feel a strong need to protect Gyda, especially after she had started bleeding. Athelstan was not quite sure why he felt the way he did, but the urge to protect Gyda and be by her side did not go away. Suddenly, Athelstan was pulled out of his deep thoughts, as he could hear Gyda waking up inside of her chamber. He could hear the bed making a creaking sound as she sat up in it, a clear indicator that she was awake now. Athelstan looked towards Björn's chamber, before going inside of Gyda's. His door was still closed, so Athelstan figured he was still sleeping rather heavily.

Slowly, careful not to frighten Gyda, Athelstan opened the door to her chamber. He closed the door behind him, and walked closer to her bed. When he looked down, he could see Gyda's small frame sitting up in her bed, clutching her stomach. "Goodmorning, sweet child." Athelstan whispered soothingly, as he crouched down beside her bed. Even though Athelstan could not see Gyda's facial expression, he could tell she was in a great deal of pain. "G-goodmorning, Athelstan." She managed to choke out, tears threatening to fall. Athelstan put a soothing, gentle hand on her back, "Gyda, I have something for you that might lessen the pain a bit." He told her, stroking her hair. 

Athelstan could feel Gyda's eyes resting on him, "D-did you make the medicine?" She asked, kind of surprised. Athelstan gave her a sad smile, "No, sadly it was too dark to see anything and I could not find any of the healing herbs I needed. So, I brought something else for you." Athelstan held up the bottle infront of her face, "It is ale. It might reduce the pain a bit. Although, I don't think it will slow down the bleeding. I know Björn gave you some ale at supper, but you now have my blessing to have some ale, dear Gyda." Athelstan planted a kiss on her slightly sweaty forehead, as he gave the bottle to Gyda. Her hands were almost shaking with pain, as she brought the bottle closer to her mouth. Gyda could feel the sour, strong liquid making its way down her throat, leaving a slightly burning sensation.

Gyda almost drank the whole bottle, before Athelstan stopped her, "There, there. Slowly." He said with a chuckle, which made them both laugh. Gyda removed the bottle from her lips, and swallowed the last bit of it. Athelstan took the bottle from her. “Lay down, I will make breakfast. You can even break your fast in here today, if you would like that.” Athelstan offered, giving her a kind smile. Gyda nodded her head, “I would like that. My stomach really hurts, and I do not want to argue with Björn at the table this morning.” She murmured, laying back down in her bed. Athelstan nodded, “I fully understand that.” He told her. Gyda smiled, then she looked down. Her smile then vanished. 

Gyda frowned a bit, “I think I will have to change my sheets later, too. My cloth leaked, again.” She told him, in a low and slightly embarrassed tone. Athelstan merely smiled, “Do not worry, Gyda. I will help you clean everything up.”


End file.
